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According to 5ASIDE, a top football show on beIN SPORTS, Morocco’s rise to the top of the world football scene is not an isolated event.
Their article entitled “Morocco Proves It Could Be the Next Soccer Powerhouse After Two Huge Achievements in World Cups” is full of praise about North Africa’s footballing sensations who’ve managed to turn their World Cup success into a long term project — one that’s finally starting to change the face of African football globally.
From the 2022 Qatar World Cup semi-final spot to being the U-20 world champions just this month after beating Argentina, beIN Sports says the country’s progress is the result of some top-class planning, not just luck.
The feature takes the reader on a journey with Morocco detailing their fairytale run in the Qatar World Cup to dominating the U20’s in Chile three years later — a journey beIN SPORTS calls “a well-structured project backed by a generation of talented players now winning on the global stage.”
The Moroccan U20 team, with Mohamed Ouahbi at the helm, beat Argentina 2–0 in the final after a brace from Yassir Zabiri who was also the Golden Boot winner. When asked about the team’s win the Royal Moroccan Football Federation said that it was no surprise at all, but rather the result of years and years of investment and a clear plan all along.
National pride and global ambition
For beIN SPORTS, Morocco’s success is not just a one-off but part of a greater commitment to sports academies, investments in modern sports infrastructure and the tech they need to give them an edge just like the European football clubs have.
In plain terms, Morocco now plays to win, not just to surprise people. The Atlas Lions status has shifted from being the underdog to being a strong contender.
The show also revisits the 2022 World Cup campaign where the Atlas Lions made history by becoming the first African side to make it to the semis by beating Spain and Portugal along the way.
5ASIDE says that that tournament was the turning point. Morocco showed the world that Africa could compete with Europe and South America’s best.
Fast forward to 2025 and the U20 champions beat Brazil, France, Spain and the US in the leadup to the final to beat Argentina, which is just a sign that this Moroccan team’s footballing transformation has real depth to it. BeIN SPORTS calls the U20 squad a “golden generation rewriting African football history”
5ASIDE sums up the whole mindset of the Moroccan football team today: “a comprehensive national project”.
With the qualification for the 2026 World Cup already secured, the outlet is convinced that Morocco’s ambition is clear: “to become the first African country to lift the senior World Cup trophy”.
“The Atlas Lions are roaring louder than ever and the future, without question, belongs to them,” beIN SPORTS writes.
Moroccans have known this for a while. This was evident from the words of Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, when he said: “We are no longer the Morocco that celebrates qualification. We now celebrate victories.”
The rest of the world is now finally taking notice.
